By Kebba Ansu Manneh
Rural Women under the auspices of Rural Women Assembly Saturday, 15th October, 2021 marked this year’s International Rural Women’s Day in Fulladu Brikamaba in the Central River Region (CRR).
Organizer used the celebration to demand from government to strengthening efforts in making lands available to Gambian women, decentralize women entrepreneurship fund and launch investigations into maternal deaths registered in the country.
These demands among others were contained in a resolution presented to the Minister of Women’s Affairs at a ceremony organised by Action-Aid The Gambia and partners.
In Agriculture, we are requesting for the following: “Allocations of lands to women by the authorities for sustainable agricultural food security; Provision of mechanized farming equipments, fertilizers and climate smart seeds; adequate water facilities, (chain-link wires and boreholes materials),” Fatou Trawally, member of Rural Women Assembly submitted demands.
She added: “Develop agricultural market facilities in the rural areas to cater for women agricultural products. Develop regional processing centers of vegetable products for women vegetable producers.”
Madam Trawally continued in the demand – that government should create micro-finance and credit facilities for rural women, adding that government should also increase its funding in the horticultural sector as well as subsidized feeds for small ruminant farmers.
She further called on Gambian government to strengthen and enforce policies that will involve women participation in forestry management committee, while calling on government to fund tree planting activities initiated by rural women.
“Government should also develop projects and programs to develop rural women resilience to the negative effects of climate change. It should also decentralize the women entrepreneurship fund,” Trawally submitted as part of demands presented to government.
Dilating on sexual and reproductive health rights, Madam Trawally urged government to launch investigations on the maternal deaths registered in the country as well as address its surrounding issues, adding that they should train and engage adequate nurses, midwives and doctors as they are critical demands from government for rural women.
Speaking at the occasion, Madam Tabu Sarr representing Action-Aid The Gambia acknowledged the significant roles rural women continue to play in proving food on tables for families, adding that these women deserves to be commended and recognised for their distinguished roles played in the societies.
“Our rural women, daughters and grandmothers are the food basket of this country. They must be given recognition and they must be given commendation and support,” Madam Tabu Sarr disclosed.
She added: “I am quite certain that the demands that were handed over to the Ministry of Gender, Women, Child and Social Welfare, copies of which will be handed over to the Deputy Governor and Representative from government institutions will be forwarded to the right authorities.
“We are certain that women are not part of those that are making decisions but as representatives of different institutions we called on you to ensure that these demands are forward on the decision making tables.”
Binta Jammeh Sidibeh, Deputy Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture observed the untiring roles rural women continue to shoulder for rural families, adding that against these significant roles rural women are poised with domestic violence, increased workload including caring of children and elderly and less access to social protection and Infrastructures among others remains challenging.
DPS Jammeh commended Action-Aid The Gambia and partners for organising such a worthwhile convergence, while assuring rural women of government’s commitment and desire to promoting the welfare and livelihoods of the rural women as recently demonstrated in the provision of seeds, fertilisers and farming implements distributed to the farmers.
